start_today

After baking, how long do I need to wait to before playing in these? I’ve found all sorts of baking instructions, but nothing about how long to let them set before ripping up and down the ice.

If those “other guys” offered a good product, someone would say so. There’s not a hidden gem craft stick maker who’s just in it for fun and happy to make and sell qualtiy sticks at a fraction of a price. Save the $75-$100 you’d spend on curiosity and spend it on a better stick. Or, upgrade your steel or or a fancy cage or a new bag. Donate it to You Can Play or some group that supports marginalized athletes. Literally anything but some knock off fly by night company that you know in your heart is a crappy product.

CCM isn’t a company who posts a lot on this board. There are a few people who will post in very specific threads that they are active in for a specific time period. If you have a concern, you’re better off contacting them directly.

You said “As I continue to play and improve.” How long have you been playing? At some point, this is more about technique and practice than about finding a blade to do all the work. Eventually you’ll find a blade that makes nasty 30 foot saucer passes, but you won’t be able to make a hard accurate 10 foot pass flat on the ice. Find a blade that is generally available that allows you to mostly do what you want. That additional output is on you, not equipment. The illusion of this site (which I love) is that if you just spend enough and buy the right stuff your skillset will suddenly improve without you actually doing any work.

Ask teammates. Lots of people have them lying around. And/or ask your local shop if they have any sitting in the back. How many do you need?

Are you saying 40% of your customs are True, and 35% are CCM? Or, am I misreading what you mean? What’s the other 25%?

Can anyone verify these wildly unrealistic deals that are too good to be true? The misspelled spam email I got felt kinda dicey, but I don’t think you’re allowed to lie on the internet. I have some money to burn. Just made a sweet deal with a disposed Nigerian prince, and he’s about to wire me a bunch of money now that he has all of my banking info.

Plus, think of the weight you’re reducing! 🙄

For those of us who don’t know the finer workings of True skates, what exactly is wrong? Thats where the tongue connects to the skate, right? Did the stitching rip, or is the material physically broken? What needs to be cemented and restitched?

Oh, pencil test was just informational. That’s not the concern. It’s the way the skate feels. I don’t think a rebake will help. It’s like there’s fundamentally not enough material to wrap my foot as much as I’d like. Maybe the shop I went to didn’t do a good job with the punch. I’m gun shy about dropping money on skates to have them not fit in a way that makes them unusable. Current fit is just not ideal. That navicular bone pain is another level.

I’ve had x800s for about nine months. I like them, but a few months ago, I started feeling like I’m having volume issues with my right foot. I just barely fail the pencil test on the fourth and fifth eyelet, but no lacebite or pain. Left skate feels absolutely great. Sometimes my right skate feels like it’s not deep enough, or like i’m not getting good enough wrap around my foot. What model supreme would correlate to the materials in the X800s? I am having trouble parsing all of the jargon. I feel like I’m landing somewhere between the S29 and 2S. When I bought them last summer, I tried on Tacks and Jetspeeds as well. Both of those ended up putting too much pressure on my accessory navicular bone. I am willing to revisit both of those, but I’ve tried punching around that bone before, and never had good results. Any thoughts or suggestions? I am trying to stay in the $500 range, so the obligatory “just get Trues or other customs” doesn’t really help. Thanks!

Can I ask the name of the shop where you got these? I’ve been thinking about a pair of supremes...

I recently picked up a pair of medium hp31. I believe those are in the same line as the hp30 & 35s. 31s might specifically be for CHL or other similar leagues. I’m 6’2”, with 32” waist in most dress pants. M with the extension zipper fit fine. It sometimes feels tight around my stomach, but good on my hips. I’m not sure about the double belt and 2 piece pant. It’s a lifestyle I’m not familiar with, but I’m getting used to it, as long as I’m not consciously thinking about it, they do the job. They have a traditional boxy fit. I put my pants on after skates with no problems at all. I don’t know the exact weight, but I’d say 3ish pounds. When I weighed them, they were the exact same weight as my large Covert DT2 pants. These few like they run a little warm, but it’s also been kinda hot since I got them, so it might just be me adjusting to summer hockey.

I kinda feel like you are burying the lead, which is a Darren Dreger custom stick. Anyone have a lead on a pair of Elliotte Friedman MIC Franchises?

Are those the black Nikes that comes like 3/4 of the way up your calf? Those were anything but “non-compression” for me. I recently quit wearing about those, because it would take me an extra twp minutes to get them on, as compared to other socks. I felt like the foot was really tight, and had to force them on inch by inch to get it around my heel and settled correctly.

I haven’t used the QX or the QX Pro, but I have used the Alpha AK27, and the QX3. I liked the blade feel of the QX3, but the AK27 SL blade plays both like it’s too lively, and like I don’t have good puck feel. I mean lively like I need to concentrate extra to take passes, pucks seem more likely to bounce of the blade, where another blade it would stay where I want it. A) Does that description even make sense B) Does the blade on the QX and QX Pro play like the SL? The way the puck bounces off the blade on the SL has religated it to back up status after only a few uses.

FWIW, in case someone else is looking for womens pants, my wife has been buying the 2nd to top tier Supreme and then Nexus pants and she loves them. Everyone’s bodies are different. It’s just trying stuff on until you like it? Do women in college and on pro teams tend to wear the “women’s cut” of pants and shoulder pads? Or do they just wear the typical “men’s” pads?

NXGs don’t have the edge holder. So, replacement steel will probably cheaper, and your runners won’t get loose in the holder.

Maybe I’m being a picky nerd, but what I keep seeing people describe as “performance fit” is correctly fitting skates, and “comfort fit” is too big. God knows most people have to make certain compromises with retail skates, but the idea of minimizing negative space as much as possible is just working to get the boot that fits your foot to the best degree possible.

What do you all like better about the U shaped opening? I feel like the straight opening zipper is easier to access the cavity of the bag, and I don’t have to actually zippier it closed, as the top of the bag holds everything in. Also, I’d worry that the bend of the U creates more places for the zipper to catch or break. That might not actually be logical.

I never would have thought about it if someone else handnt pointed it out, but light colored bags are better for finding stuff. Black and navy bag interiors are great at hiding stray socks and jocks. I’ll never buy a bag with a dark interior again. That being said, that silver Easton bag is...noticeable. If you ever get a flat tire on the way home, you can definitely put that out and people will see you in the dark.

I got annoyed by all the dubious marketing hype and improvements that are essentially “but this one goes to 11.” But, even if I’m disenchanted by the marketplace, I still like staying on top of things and being aware of what’s available. I enjoy the minutia of this site and knowing what’s new and sexy, even if I personally don’t want to buy it Also, I’m at a point in life and hockey where I’m pretty happy and content in a good way. I think when I’m not in a good place mentally, I tend to “chase” and fetishize material things, which ultimately buying don’t make me all that happy anyway. We’ve all seen guys on here who obsess over a particular thing- “what if I switch from a p88 to a p92 and cut the length by 1/4” and go up 5 in flex, will I be better at taking off camber snapshots from the wing?” Nothing is gonna make that person happy (or better). There’s a certain zen to just giving up and having fun playing with your $100 stick and 5 year old skates, and not needing the latest and greatest.

Are you asking about skates or sticks? The more context you can give for what you are looking for in a piece of equipment will get you more helpful responses, as will sharing what you do and don’t like about comparable equipment that you’ve used previously.

Why isn’t every blade max height? Is it just something people never thought about?

That sports 2k thread is a monster. Just read all of it instead of making dinner. Ha